Okay, full disclaimer: summer 2010 will be the first time that the Mad Decent Block Party tours outside of Philly, but it looks to become an annual summer staple, an alternative to Lollapalooza, Warped Tour and so on for those that like their beats well done…

I was doubly surprised to find myself enjoying the Mad Decent-pushed Summer Mixtape of new sign Po Po.

All the offenders are here: reverb shellacked on every output, the surf theme (“Bummer Summer”? K), simple melodies, on and on. But there’s a nihilistic undercurrent that gels lovely with the bursts of turntablisms and samples. Maybe it’s just hot out, but maybe who cares.

Obama take note: music fans got a big bargain early when South Rakkas Crew released their album The Stimulus Package for free earlier today on Diplo’s awesome Mad Decent label (download it here). We’ve been fans of South Rakkas for a minute over here at Kspace, and the dynamic duo of Alex Greggs and Dennis “Dow Jones” Shaw have blown our minds again with Stimulus, proving that they are the new dons of electronic funk.

You’ve heard South Rakkas Crew, even if you didn’t realize it: the Crew – actually the duo of Alex Greggs and Dennis “Dow Jones” Shaw – have been responsible for some of the hottest bangers around, both their own, and others. South Rakkas are down with Diplo’s Mad Decent label (which released the SRC classic “Mad Again”), and have done production for M.I.A.